Of Things That Bind
by Mz.zutara4sho
Summary: Three souls, three best friends, three pieces that roll into one. Celestia, Luna, and Discord are childhood friends, but what in the world keeps them together? Certainly not jealousy and secrets... or does it?
1. A Moment

Celestia had always been more the diplomat than her sister, and so, she traveled more often away from the castle, home not only to the celestial sisters, but also to the spirit of chaos.

The disorder channeler and the princess of the night were not unaccustomed to spending an evening together, with or without the sun mover present. They were all childhood friends, raised in the very castle they still called home.

It was on the afternoon of a particular of Celestia's ambassadorial leaves, that the two ventured to the private lands just beyond the dense of trees.

Duties were cast aside for the day, but it had been a slow month regardless. The two planned a picnic on their favorite spot, and talked about anything that came to their minds.

The trickster performed for his company, manipulating whatnots from their pack and conjuring up what hadn't been present before. The moon child joined the act and transformed objects into this and that.

They ate a meal prepared by the chiefs and shared a dessert that wouldn't have been missed by their absent third point. She preferred cake to most other things anyway.

It was nice spending time with someone who knew you so well, Discord and Luna thought. To know that they were your friend, and accepted you no matter what, was a true gift. It was even more so when that person truly cared for you, and not the wealth or power you possessed.

These friends, all three of them, had lived for a long time and had seen generations pass. The friends and faces the knew at a time were gone at another. The caretakers who ran their baths and tucked them in now slept beneath the soil. Still the three always had each other

From familiarity and proximity sprang affection and attraction. Even so, only one had known the sting of lost lovers.

Their triangle scalened as two points were closer together than one. The bringer of day and the confusion studier seemed fated in their love. The three got along well, though their dynamic was twisted at odd ends. One point refused to see the potential for damage in an uneven balance of affection. Another didn't complain although insecurities crept in her mind. The last noticed and thought of one way to solve the problem.

The days when the sun was moved by its princess in another region, Discord found it fit to do more than just watch the clouds roll in sluggish trails or reminisce on older days.

He often held Luna's hand as they strolled and kissed her quickly but kindly on the lips whenever he bid her farewell. Some days she was sad -sulking and keeping herself as far away from others as possible- and he would simply sit with her until she felt better. He knew that they had a deep bond all their own.

They shared secrets and dreams, but more than just friends would. One night he truly kissed her, timing it so well that she didn't think to pull away. Not for a stretch of time, at least. When she finally jerked her head back she could only look into his eyes.

While she tried to read him, he read her like an unwound scroll. She wanted to do it again, so he kissed her again, and again, and again until all they could do was hold each other tight and sway to the rhythm in their hearts. When they woke up, clothes were gathered and bed heads were patted down.

There had been no awkwardness in the air, just the perfume of passion and revealed emotions.

They only joined themselves together once, because the guilt ate away at the younger sister like a candle at night. And she was the darkness.

But it didn't stop her from allowing him to steal kisses while the sun's eyes were turned, nor did it stop the electric looks that sent shivers down his back when he caught her staring from across the room. Darkness clung to the cracks and corners light could not lend its notice.

It seemed as though the Celestia was none the wiser. Then time passed, and the younger girl realized that if her sister did find out, their whole relationship would be ruined. The guilt clung to her like shadows and she realized they needed to stop.

The sun trailed lower and the sky above the open field painted the evening in a honey glow, yet the pair on the blanket hadn't noticed the beauty.

"Discord…" She hummed. "Discord we can't… You and," she shuddered as he found her favorite spot on her neck, "'Tia-"

"You and me," he corrected before continuing to press his lips along more of her pale skin.

"There can't be you and me! You have 'Tia." Luna pushed him away to clear her mind. Her eyes narrowed in frustration at his advances and her weakness.

"And you?"

She couldn't look into his eyes. "What about me?"

He lifted her chin and forced her to look at him with a stern stare. "Who do you have?"

"'Tia loves you," She tried weakly.

"And you?"

Such a hanging, lurking question.

She stood and walked a few paces away, her back now to him. She only heard him stand. "Why must you insist in always doing this, Discord? Why- Could we not just enjoy a moment together without all of this? Just once?"

"And why do you always do this, Luna? When will you stop lying to yourself? When will you stop trying to placate your big sister and do something that will make you happy?"

"By cheating?!" She swirled back around and scolded with incredulous, but didn't move a step in his direction. "How could you think going behind her back with the one man she loves most in the world could make me happy?"

"Because," he took a step forward, "she's not the only one who's in love."

"You're just full of yourself- you always have been- and greedy too. You can find no contentment with one princess so yo-"

There wasn't much room separating them, but he was standing before her so quickly she had barely blinked. His grip was tight around her wrists which ended up trapped between their chests.

"Look at me Luna. Really look at me, then tell me that you don't love me. And look and tell me I don't honestly love you too."

She was stuck staring into those blazing ruby eyes. Her breath came quickly and her expression was furrowed at her brows. Luna wanted to run, to fly far away, but his grip was too sturdy. She could only clench her fists.

"Let me go."

"Answer me."

"Discord, let me go."

"Luna." He was determined to hold her there until she answered. Just as determined as he was to hold her until the end of time. He told her that through his eyes.

"Please, for everyone's sake... let me go." Her voice was quite, pained, as she spoke. It became too much to even hold her head up so she let her forehead rest against his chest.

"Never." His tone was so gentle but so firm that Luna had to look back up. His lips found hers and she couldn't back away.

They flew back to the castle in time for Luna to raise the moon.

They found themselves in her room, panting into each other's ears as they came for the umpteenth time, catching their breath. His hands were tangled in her hair and her hands were wrapped around his back. Flesh pressed against flesh and sweat mingled with sweat. They were joined as one in an age old tie and natural as the moon and sun in the sky. He was on her, she was on him, they rolled on the bed lost in the other's essences. They could taste each other in the air that was thick and consuming. His hips rose to meet her and her eyes saw nothing but his.

They collapsed, spent and comfily holding each other as timed ticked away by the count of their heartbeats.

"Do you know what my favorite time of day is?" Discord asked with a lock of Luna's periwinkle hair rolling around his fingers.

"What?" Luna asked softly.

"The night. When it has settled and the stars can be seen in their full glory against the dark purple canvas you layout."

"Why?" She snuggled closer to him, listening to the sound of his heart through his bare chest.

His face drew to a pensive line, as always, while he took to explaining. "To a scholarly man, the night sky is an elegant assortment of fixed twinkling constellations. Mappable and constant in pattern and cycle. But, to a simple man, it is a random array of shimmering beauty. Immeasurable and humbling. Two perspectives of one opinion does not distract from the aesthetics and sentiment. The night is the most wonderful example of truly balanced chaos I can certainly think of."

He felt her smile against him, and that was all the thanks he needed.

They listened to the rhythms that their bodies set. His inhale her exhale; his heart beat her pulse. They didn't match, and they didn't mind. They were two different people, bound by choice and love.


	2. A Memory

_The room had grown too warm for clothes so they removed them quickly. It had grown too warm for sheets so they were pushed haphazardly to the side. It had grown too warm for bodies to be pressed together, but that was one thing they didn't mind._

_His mouth fell on hers for the hundredth time since they rounded the corner and escaped the parole of the guards. Every step closer to the door of her room transformed the kiss in the way their demeanor changed: charming and measured to sloppy and excited._

_She rolled them over, so that the spirit of chaos was on his back. He was the prince and the general of the entire national army, but the royal lineage flowed through her veins. As far as she was concerned it was her country, so she topped._

_She kissed his strong jaw and neck, stopping to feel his pulse beat against her lips. She found his collar bone with her teeth and grazed his skin as she slipped down his chest, ever trimmed._

_Her lips were searing in the already heated room, like licks of fire from the blazing sun she commanded. His heart hammered in his chest and she innocently placed her ear to it to listen to the tempo increase while her hands trailed a naughty southbound path._

_His hand entwined in her long hair, pink like the cotton candy of his chocolate milk rain clouds. The other hand rubbed her shoulder and arm loving the smooth skin that radiated a golden glow in the candle lit room._

_He groaned in approval when manicured nails gently scratched his hipbone, and his mouth made an O when her pampered fingers grasped his waiting member._

_She looked up from his chest to catch his ruby eyes with her fiery purple. Her lips were smug as she simply held him in her hand. She continued the rest of her kissing journey down his firm chest and toned stomach. His hands fell away as she moved from his reach._

_Sitting up on her knees the day bringer placed her free hand on her chest, moving her luscious hair away with a toss of her head. With the view unobstructed, she rolled her plush mound in her palm, then tweaked and pulled her stiff nipple in expert familiarity._

_Her other hand didn't leave the throbbing rod, nor did that smug look of mischief leave her lips. He sat up and watched her tease herself, enjoying the show set before him. Maybe he'd get a meal to go with it if he watched attentively._

_She bit her lip as she looked at him, making sure he realized the performance was his. Her hand left her bosom to glide down her flat stomach. Her delicate hand drifted to her thighs and weaseled a finger in between them. It dipped quickly into her wetness. When it was taken away, she held it up for him to see the glistening proof of her desire._

_He licked his lips, thirsting for the oasis she kept at a distance. He watched her lap open with a building yearning to bury his tongue. But he sat with patience, knowing there was more to come._

_His member twitched in her hand, so she started a gentle rhythm that stroked him up and down. She knew, she could only expect good behavior for so long, but the interest in his eyes told her he wanted to see what more she had in store._

_The wet finger was cleaned in her mouth, and she savored the flavor as though it were sweet frosting. She hummed in delight because he loved the sounds she made._

_When she pulled it out, it made a wet pop. Her hand slide up a toned leg and ticked the inside with circled traces. She teased herself with her hand by pulling at her lower lips and puckering them to feel her hardened bud between. Her eyes closed but her smiled didn't fade as she plunged her fingers in and out of her depth._

_He wanted to touch her, to taste her, to listen the wet smacks against her backside as he thrust himself into her. But instead he waited, because this must have been a lesson. She was fond of teaching, after all. This must have been a lesson on self-restraint so he welcomed it as a challenge._

_But he was sure she would need him eventually, and that thought made him take on a smugness of his own. She would be reminded of how much better she felt when she let his capable hands, amongst other things, handle her body._

_He didn't mind when her tempo speed up between her legs, or when she began to moan loudly. She was overdoing it anyway. He didn't mind when her head rolled back or when her chest heaved to desired filled pants. But he did mind when her hand left him and the smirk changed to concentration._

_She'd forgotten him to finish for herself._

_Well, he could not have that- he would not have that. It didn't occur to him that he was jealous of a few fingers. He was swift, pushing her to her back and pinning her arms to either side of her head in a flash. She didn't open her eyes, but could feel him staring at her with his eyes narrowed._

_Her face had shifted slightly from concentration to annoyance, and it didn't even seem as though she was confused in the slightest._

_What. She asked him with her eyes as she allowed them to open. She made it apparent that she was miffed as she tested his strength with an impatient tug of her wrists. What? His eyes flashed incredulous. It was apparent 'what.' She was going to finish without him, leave him hanging, in a sense. If anyone should be asking 'what,' it was him._

_And then he saw the amusement in her eyes. She laughed at him with a grin, revealing to him that it was all a part of her plan. The trickster had been tricked! He sought his revenge with a heated kiss that stole her breath away._

_He let most of his weight rest on his knees as he attacked her mercilessly with his mouth. She didn't beam at him any longer, instead moaned in honest as he rubbed his stiffness against her slick slit. Her eyes fluttered to a close again._

_Her legs wrapped around him, silently begging for his entrance. He pulled back and lined himself up without his hands. Then he waited._

_Why hadn't he pushed through? She opened her eyes to question when she felt him thrust in roughly to the hilt._

_Her back arched reflexively while she grunted unabashed in an unprincess like manner._

_He loved when she did that._

_Now that he was in her, he gave himself to her. His length filled her and stretched her perfectly. His hips slammed into hers in a quick blur. She couldn't simply moan or mewl as he hammered away inside of her, so she groaned and begged him to keep going._

_She wanted to touch him again, but it was his turn to explore; he kept her hands pinned to the bed. He used his teeth to nip the sweaty skin of her chest, then he rubbed his face on each of her mountains and scraped his teeth between the valley. She loved his stubble._

_He moved to bury his nose in her hair, sending shivers down her spine as he panted in her ear. He felt a twinge in his stomach and the clench of her slick cave. They were close so he bit her earlobe and growled._

_Irregular thrusts slapped against her while her legs pulled him tighter to her quivering body, milking him as they came._

_He went flaccid, still inside. Spent for the time being, he let her wrists go. She rolled them over, but stayed connected, just resting her head on his sweaty shoulder as they caught their breath. Neither fretted, their clans were so different their people could not reproduce together._

_Time ticked and candle wax melted as they felt the other's chest expand and collapse. Their rhythm didn't match and that made the moment all the more personal. They were two different people, bound by choice and love._

_She felt him growing hard again so she wriggled her hips. Ready to go? She asked with the motion. His reply was to throw his arms greedily around her back and roll them over once again._


	3. A Story that May Piece it All Together

Part 1

He was gone. Off on a military expedition in hopes of finding new land and meeting new kinds of people. They, the sisters, were sad that he was to be away for so long, but excited for his opportunity to traverse the wide wide world. As good friends, they smiled in the last moments he had with them, and brooded when he finally set off with the rest of the marching ensemble.

They mourned his absence in their own ways: Celestia rebounding into her work, studying more foreign policy and the principles of her magic; Luna withdrawing more from crowds, vying for a persona even more wry and aloof than usual.

Discord was their best friend, and while he wasn't dead, without him, the castle seemed to lose a spark of magic -evident in its the old walls and corridors- from lack of smiles and laughter.

Ten years, what was that, a blink in the sight of their long lives? Ten years, he wouldn't be home with them gallivanting and causing troubles, for which Luna would surrender a laugh and Celestia would dutifully apologize while hiding a smile.

Even in the few hundred years they had been alive, even as they still felt young, sharp witted, and fresh in spirit, even as time often whipped by them in a blur, tossing them into new fads, friends, and foods, nothing seemed to drag on as slowly as those ten years.

They felt every single day without him.

The first two years were tough, little irregularities in daily routine, such as one less plate at meals, rudely reminded them that their trio was down to two. Denial was scattered everywhere the princesses stepped, not in missing him, but in how much it affected them.

Celestia missed her partner, her rambunctious lover, her husband if they'd ever see the point of doing extra paperwork.

Luna did the same, only she didn't have a sister to complain about it to.

The next five years were better received. The letters he sent still came regularly, but finally, after a night the sisters spent reading a (carefully selected) pile together, laughing at his terrible jokes and sardonic complaints of a few mates, then sobbing and laughing again, Celestia and Luna allowed themselves to smile a little more.

They even found a lesson in his absence: it's ok to seek the emotional support of others when you are feeling down. The two did just that, and strengthened the bond of their sisterhood all the more. They sought each other out when the subtle strokes of loneliness turned to slaps.

No group but that group had known each other from the time before adolescence began to sprout. They had other friends, but none as long lived as Discord.

Luna learned how perturbed by separation her sister was when Celestia asked if maybe sometimes on a few occasions would it not be too troubling to stay in her room at night. If ever Celestia had a shy side, it surfaced in that moment. Luna, for a change, found her sister to be the rather adorable one.

Of course, Luna had night court and dreamscape surveillance duties, but when she was free, Celestia spent many of her nights in her sister's room. She was usually in the pocket of the chamber that served as the study. Luna didn't miss it though, her true study was in a separate room not far from the royal apartments wing.

The last three years improved significantly. While they could never completely fill the tune of a missing note in their chord, they were able to bring back a bit of music to not just themselves, but rest of the castle. The staff really did hate to see the sisters so gloomy.

Then the letter came. One. Addressed to both women.

The expedition was lengthened. Why? New settlements had to be secured, issues of malcontent amongst ranks needed to be resolved, someone held the map upside side and no one noticed. A myriad of reasons, but none of them helped console the aggravations of the princesses.

The welcome home party was canceled, the decorations stripped, the presents were returned, and there were many many apologies.

Celestia was furious. She'd spent too long being sad, so anger, apparently, was the next best thing. Behind spinel eyes was the building of a silent rage. Not as well hidden from the staff as it should have been. Everyone was one edge.

No one more so than Luna. Celestia was being petty, that's how the moon princess saw it, and all things considered, she didn't like their switching of roles. Celestia was supposed to be the calm understanding one, and Luna was supposed to pout and glare until she was over the whole thing. Annoyingly, Celestia was rather good in her new behavior.

For three days, she ranted in Luna's ear, blaming every little thing for Discord's drawn out stay. She even swore that he was the one who had done something to delay his return, another one of his pesky tricks on her behalf. For three days, she felt sorry for herself, complaining that she was so disappointed that her precious Discord wasn't returning right away.

"Enough, 'Tia!" Luna stood immediately in a great show of heralded annoyance. Some feather pens rustled in their container, which sat on the nightstand near her bed.

Celestia balked, but recovered quickly, resorting to folding her arms childishly. "I was only saying-"

"And I am saying enough! I've heard absolutely enough of your pity party. _Poor me_ this and _dumb luck_ that. Please come off it, already." She walked from the side of the bed to the bookshelf, acrimony in every step. There was no real intention to find anything, but the action was better than dealing with her sister at this point.

Celestia narrowed her eyes, looking for something to say that could justify herself, but then contemplated her sister for a moment.

"Luna," she called to her sister, and Luna's reply was to pull out a scroll and roughly slam in back into another open slot.

Celestia winced. Had she really been that bad? As if Luna heard her she repeated her action. She winced again.

The sun princess deflated, letting go of all the hot air that had been keeping her bad mood afloat for days. Discord was already miles away, she couldn't deal with distancing herself from her sister.

She'd been leaning next to the large wardrobe on the far wall, picking at the details of the deeply stained wood as she complained. Celestia crossed the room; she stopped behind her sister, a few cautious feet away, knowing Luna had a habit of whirling dramatically when she was upset.

The sun princess noticed immediately that Luna was making a point of keeping her back to her. Celestia frowned, then she heard it, and her frown deepened. Luna sniffled. But Luna wasn't one to be quick to tears. She was stubborn, her crying had to be a long time coming.

Celestia shortened the distance between them until she was less than an arm's length away. She tried to place a hand on her sister's shoulder, but Luna shrugged it of, whipping her cheek while trying to make it seem as though she were reaching for another scroll.

"Lulu..." This time her voice was not only filled with inquisition but guilt for making her sister feel so terribly.

"No," the moon princess didn't whip around, but she kept her face hidden, speaking to the bookshelf instead. "I dont want to hear it. I've listened to you long enough, don't you think?" Her ire was all the more biting through her tears.

"I'm sorry. I was being selfish-"

"Is that anything new?"

Celestia replaced a retort with a deep inhale, slowly closing her eyes. Swallowing her pride to make a sincere apology was always harder when dealing with her little sister.

"I don't mean to make you feel so upset. It's just difficult for me to be so far from him."

"And the same doesn't apply for me, then?"

Celestia could feel herself starting to get annoyed. "Well- yes, but not in the same way."

"And why is that?" Luna's tears were angry, not sad, that much was apparent in her voice. It was bothering Celestia, as though those tears were out of place.

"Because, Luna, you don't love him the way I do."

That was it. That was enough to turn Luna around on her heels. Her face was red and puffed round her wet eyes, streaming with vexation.

Luna blinked, but remembered herself too late. She didn't have any right to be so upset. She wasn't supposed to love Discord the way Celestia did.

Her face crumbled from pique and her expression betrayed so many of her emotions: shock, fear, apology, to name a few.

"'Tia, I-" but there were no words in that moment to justify herself. Luna had never known if Celestia was suspicious, and even then she did not look confirmed. Her jaw was set and her eyes daggered deep into her sister's, searching almost, but other than that she had a steely neutrality that made Luna increasingly uncomfortable.

Then she spoke. "How many times?" Her voice was so even and measured that her question sounded more of a statement.

"W-wha-" Luna wasn't sure if it was herself or the stare that cut her off, but she realized she knew what the question was referring to. Playing dumb, even unintentionally, would not fair well for her. "Twice." She wanted to look away, but she couldn't pull her eyes from her sister's, as though there was a silent command to look. She wanted to shrink, or shy away, but she was stuck between her sister and the bookshelf.

There was a long stretch of time in which nothing was said. Luna suddenly became aware of how much taller her sister was than herself. And how Celestia's head had to tilt down to pin her gaze. And how her examining purple eyes could sear through her own teal ones. And how intimidating simply seeing the rise and fall of her sister's even breathing through her peripheral vision was.

"Do you love him?"

How long had Celestia been good at suppressing her expressions, because Luna could not tell in the slightest what to expect from answering this question. She felt trapped and that any answer she gave would trip some wire and set her sister off. But Celestia did deserve an answer.

"I... yes."

Celestia didn't believe her sister, not in denial, but because of the way her eyes betrayed her.

"Not as a friend, Luna, and not even as more than a friend. Do you _truly_ love him?"

Luna frowned, more so then she was already doing, in thought and in confusion. "It's complicated," she finally conceded.

Celestia saw that there was more honesty in this. She sighed, which seemed to be the release Luna needed to drop her eyes like lead. "I'm sorry."

Instead of acknowledging her, Celestia turned her head to her right, looking out into the distance of the Everfree landscape framed through the open window. It was long after the empyrean bodies cycled. She could see the glimmering stars spread across the sky, lightening the twisting shadows that branched from the trees. Somewhere beyond those trees, he was out there.

Luna turned her eyes back upon her sister, not following her gaze but taking a turn in studying her features.

"Did..." Celestia paused, not liking the way she started off. "Are you lonely, Luna?" Her eyes stayed to the horizon.

A surprised expression crossed Luna's face for a moment, as if a personal secret was found out by a betrayal... again. Pursing her lips, she looked down not wanting to answer.

The silence was enough.

"I'm sorry."

"What?"

They were both looking at each other once more- Luna with an inquiring frown and Celestia with pensive sadness.

"It's my fault you feel that way. I didn't want to think about it. But, I've always known how... unfair it was that I've always had him. We all get along so well that I... it didn't seem to bother you. And then I noticed the little things, tiny things you would say that you tried to shrug of with sarcasm or a wink, and I could hear how sad you are."

"'Tia-"

Celestia interrupted her with a light voice and a heavy question. "Why didn't you tell me," _instead of doing this?_ The thought trailed on, but she couldn't have said it aloud. It just didn't fit and she honestly knew.

"Well," her lips trembled, "would you like a cliche or two?" She huffed a sad little laugh. "I didn't want to hurt you, I didn't want to ruin our friendship, I... thought I would have stopped it sooner, and the attention, I really did like the attention." She was looking at the ground again, sniffling every so often. "There was something about it being so wrong... that was so exciting."

"I've been ignoring it- you this whole time. I'm sorry, Luna." This time, when she reached out for her sister she wasn't shooed away. Her hand carefully found the side of Luna's face, instinctively rubbing her thumb along the smooth surface.

Luna closed her eyes but the tears had their own will to fall. She let herself lean into the touch, placing her own hand to rest atop Celestia's. In the back of her mind, she was still working through how it was that Celestia became the one apologizing.

They stood there for a time, allowing the summer breeze to drift about them through the window, swaying fuchsia and periwinkle hair and the skirts of navy and white dresses.

"I never meant to make you feel alone, Lulu. You deserve better than that," Celestia said breaking the silence.

"But, aren't you even upset with me?" Luna opened her eyes.

"I'm more upset about how I treated you."

Luna looked back to the ground. Finally separating herself from her sister, she sat on the edge of her bed. "It may not make a difference here, but that's why we did it."

"I don't-"

Luna patted a spot next to her, she continued once Celestia sat down.

"He noticed too- how lonely I was, that is. It wasn't... he wasn't using my _weakness_-" that word tasted bitter "-as an advantage, but when he came to me to talk one night, things... escalated. Nothing was done out of malice towards you. We're just..."

"Old," Celestia finished for her.

Luna was to about to ask what she meant, but a little thought told her she knew. "Yes," she said after a big sigh, "old."

"Old... and tired of being alone..."

"Yes," Luna agreed still looking down at her lap.

"And... occasionally needing a little physical contact..."

"...yes." Luna glanced up at the hinting her sister, who looked as though she were considering something for the both of them with the smallest smile on her lips.

"Well then, Lulu, I guess I have a confession of my own." When she saw her sister's eyes widen, she had her first decent laugh in days. "It's nothing as tide stirring as yours, believe me," she said through a chuckle as Luna cleared her throat, looking bashful. "But... I've missed having a warm body next to me in bed. I- Do you think, well if you're done with your night responsibilities... that maybe we could..."

"Have a sleepover?" Luna finished. It was her turn to laugh while Celestia turned away with red on her cheeks.

"Yes, please?"

They were both laughing now, leaping over the last bound of awkwardness and tension that had been rising for longer than just three days.

Celestia teleported out of the room to prepare for bed, and Luna did the same in the moments to spare.

How long had it been since they were in the same bed? Not just relaxing between one meeting and the next, but actually resting and enjoying the other's presence? Much too long. Luna realized she felt nervous, a sort of giddy nervousness. She popped into her bathroom to give her teeth a quick brush... to be considerate.

Her sister returned the same way she came, dressed now in her silvery-white nightgown similar to Luna's light blue. With a wave of her hand all the candles were outed, letting the last ending hours of night gently darken the room.

Celestia settled in beside her sister, preferring to be closer to the door than the window. There was a bit of shuffling from their settling, but the room was filled with a noticeable silence.

Celestia straightened her leg.

Luna shifted against her pillow.

Celestia pulled the covers up.

Luna nudged the covers down.

More shuffling and screeching silence...

"Lulu..."

"Yes, 'Tia?"

"Are you tired?"

"Not really."

Celestia chuckled and her sister quickly followed suit, rolling over to face her. "When was the last time you slept."

"About two weeks ago, and you?"

"Last week actually," Luna pouted.

There was another pause, more friendly but still awkward.

"This isn't going quite like how I expected it to," Celestia replied.

At this, Luna laughed. "And how did you expect this to go?"

"Oh, well I don't know..." The sun princess trailed off as she rose to lean on one elbow. "I thought maybe..."

"Thought what...?"

"Well, it's been such a long time for both of us..."

Luna's eyes narrowed, just a hair.

"And this is supposed to be a sleepover..."

"In which people sleep," she stated while her eyes narrowed just a bit more.

"Or have... tickle fights."

Luna blinked. "What?

Celestia grinned.

"'Tia, you can't be serious."

Luna's eyes widened. "'Tia really..." In her voice there was a fear of the on coming. Celestia sat up.

"Don't-"

Her warning tone fell on deaf ears.

"'Tia! No!"

The sun princess was towering over her sister, letting her fingers fall in a frenzy against the moon princess. Luna tried to pry herself free of the prodding digits, but was reduced to a convulsing cackling mess.

"We're -ha- too old for this!"

"So old, Lulu!" her sister responded with her eyes ablaze.

Celestia was unrelenting, lost to her own laughter as well as her sister's. Her oppugning fingers danced around every spot she could remember being a weakness.

She tickled her stomach, and Luna could only flail her legs. She tickled her sides, and Luna's eyes began watering. She tickled a particularly sensitive spot, her neck, and almost got her fingers stuck when Luna thrusted her jaw to her shoulder.

"'TiaH! Please- Celestia for- ha! the moon's sake I'll- _snort." _Luna's eyes widened in terror.

There were tears in both their eyes, they were laughing so hard, but that ghastly noise finally collapsed to tickling terror.

That was the moment the moon princess needed. She neared her sister with revenge on her face.

"Wait. Let's be- ho- hm- reasonable about this-"

"Oh, she wants to be reasonable now," Luna said to no one, advancing slowly, like a predator.

"Lu- Lulu wait!" Celestia was still getting over her own laughter with a barring arm out stretched between them. "Wait, wait, wait!"

It was the sun princess' turn to suffer an attack of sensation assaulters. Being smaller held its advantage as Luna easily slipped out of her sister's attempts at pulling her away, but soon Celestia fought with a different tactic.

"You're -_snort- _cheating!"

Celestia was returning fire, poking at her sides and stomach while Luna failed to both bat her away and continuing her charge.

"All's fair!" The sun princess cried.

They tumbled around the bed, pulling and tickling, pushing and tickling, and laughing so hard it hurt. Soon, their struggling turned into a contention of arm strength. Who could pull away whom in order to launch more attacks.

Being smaller wouldn't have had an advantage if it wasn't for the leverage Luna gain by kneeling. Finally, after much grappling between the two, the moon princess secured the both wrists of her sister and pinned them above her on the mattress.

Celestia was strong, but determined to win -somewhere they both wondered when this turned into a competition- Luna pressed her advantage by throwing a leg over her sister to evenly lean into her hold.

"Ok... ok... I give, Luna..." Celestia panted, much to the grateful surprise of her sister. There was a smile on her face even as she took a breather. Luna was smiling too, little bouts of laughter still rolling through her. Their eyes twinkled with an exhilaration that'd been missing for years.

Celestia hadn't meant to do it. There was just so much going on in her mind: Discord's arrival cancellation, finding out about him and Luna, forgiving quickly, this tickle fight, Luna being pressed so close to her, everything strung together in a haze of disjoint. And she was old, so old. Too old, as Luna put it, for any squabbling and cares that only mortals in their short lives needed to fear.

So why the tartarus not?

"Celestia!" Luna pulled back in shock when their lips met.

The sun princess remembered herself at the sound of her name, her full name. There was a blink shared between them where Luna coloured although her face drew into an unreadable expression, and Celestia thought something over.

_Why the tartarus not?_

"What was that Celestia?"

"A kiss."

"No," Luna said with a sudden sound of strained patience, "why did you do that?"

Celestia took a deep breath. "Because, I'm old."

The night princess frowned a little, but the blush didn't fade. "Celestia..."

"And tired of being alone..."

"Celestia, you can't just-"

"And occasionally... in need of a little physical contact..." Celestia tempted with another kiss aimed to the side of her mouth.

"Celestia, we can't," Luna said after she pulled back with some hesitation, as though they had this conversation before. She tried to look away, but Celestia was giving her a very pleading look. It would have been easier to ignore if it wasn't so sincere.

Luna kept her head farther up this time, but Celestia pressed another kiss just under her jaw. "It's been a long time-"

"We're sisters," she hissed like a defanged snake. No bite.

"I must have forgotten," she whispered into Luna's skin.

Luna let her eyelids shut as her head lowered back down a degree, nevertheless feeling the tides of unease and excitement roll in tandem. "We can't... what about... him..."

"He owes me," she whispered into the corner of her lips again.

"So do I owe you too?" she asked quickly with a frown.

"No." Her lips found Luna's chin.

"Then what?"

There was a passing beat where Celestia didn't stir.

"Am I just a warm body then?" she whispered with incredulous lacing her words. She pulled away once more.

"No, Luna." Her was voice was as pronounced as the kiss that sent a fluttering searing feeling down the column of Luna's throat.

"Then what, Celestia?" She could feel her sister's mouth, tender and warm, pressed against as she swallowed. "Why?"

Luna gasped loudly when Celestia sat up despite the hold she still had on her wrists. In the back of her mind she accounted this to her distraction, and not to being allowed to win.

The duvet fell around them and their hair were wrangled messes of blue and pink. Luna couldn't explain why, but she was panting. In her shock, she didn't lower her arms, so they sat there searching each other with their arms pulled away from themselves. Much too exposing, Luna realized; she opened her palms, letting her sister float her arms down.

"Just because," Celestia finally said as her hands gently landed on Luna's hips, her thumbs circling small caresses through the silky fabric.

Luna shut her eyes slowly, deliberation clear even in the scarcity of light.

_Just because..._

_Why not..._

After a long deep inhale... she chuckled.

Celestia made a noise of confusion while her brow furrowed, and Luna laughed all the more, a surrendered sort of thing incapable of being concealed despite the effort to do so. Celestia couldn't even begin to think of anything to say. Perhaps she'd broken her sister?

Luna quickly took pity on her. "We're not just old, 'Tia," she said, fading back into her laughter.

"Then what are we?" Celestia asked with a small crack of a spreading smile.

"We are absolutely mad," she said as the bouncing of her shoulders doubled. Her mouth, widened to a broad grin, narrowed back as she dove into her sister's mouth, her face falling from jubilant to clamant. Her fingers slid through her sister's hair on either side of her face pressing herself into those lips she shouldn't be enjoying.

Celestia was all too happy to oblige and kissed her back with the same clinging passion. Rolling onto her knees from her seat on her sister's lap, Luna moaned. She felt the hands that had landed on her sides like petals on a pond pull her forward with a tide of possession.

"This is wrong," Luna said with a frown of focus as she pulled away just long enough from her sister's greedy lips to take a fast inhale of air.

"So wrong," Celestia absently nodded in agreement as sought back out her sister's embrace with a sense of urgency.

"Very wrong," Luna said again as she broke away once more to help her sister pull her blue night gown over her head.

"Yes, very." Celestia was already working on pulling off her own.

Luna reached behind to pull on the covers that had pooled around them. She pushed Celestia back down to the bed and bit her lip with her features dueling agog.

"So wrong..."

Luna fell over her sister, making the covers a pocket of protection for what was to be a long night.

"_Mmm_, 'Tia!"


End file.
